Nick Longhi was once one of the best prospects in the Boston Red Sox system. They have him again, and this time they need to hold on to him.
Not all that long ago, Nick Longhi was a top-10 prospect in the Boston Red Sox system. In fact, that was just back in 2017.
However, he was traded in the middle of the 2017 season to the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for international bonus pool money.
The Red Sox made a fantastic signing with that money, in catcher Daniel Flores. Flores was the total package, and already looked to be a star of the system. Things took a devastating turn though, and the 17-year-old catcher passed away due to testicular cancer in November of that year.
Meanwhile, Longhi went on to play two seasons and some change in the Cincinnati minors. He appeared in seven games in Double-A for them in 2017. However, an injury ended that prematurely. The prospect had Tommy John surgery.
2018 was a down year. Longhi hit .244 with just 14 doubles and two home runs over 90 games. There’s an easy argument for this though, as he was making his way back from a serious surgery.
That argument gains a lot of traction when looking at his 2019. The first baseman/outfielder had a career-year last season.
Longhi appeared in 111 games, his most since 2016. In that time, the right-handed hitter posted a .283 batting average (that’s his best in a full-season). He also roped 28 doubles (his second-most in a season), three triples (tied for his most in a season) and 12 home runs (his highest ever).
That’s not all though. Longhi also posted one of his best OBPs ever (.336) and set a new high in slugging percentage (.463). Oh, and he did all of that in Triple-A.
If we’re being honest, it’s pretty surprising that the Reds decided to let him go. That being said, that’s exactly what happened, and the Red Sox took the opportunity to scoop him up by offering him a non-roster invitation to Spring Training.
The Red Sox can’t let him go again. I’ve been covering the Red Sox minors for the last five years, there’s a reason he was one of my favorites to watch.
Longhi plays an incredibly strong first base. He’s solid in the outfield as well, with a fantastic arm (he used to pitch and clocked out in the 90s).
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Meanwhile, his bat doesn’t yield all that much power (he’ll gladly tell you that himself), but it still has a lot of value. Longhi creates contact and can get on-base at a solid clip. He also has really solid run production potential that could be maximized in the Boston lineup.
At 24, Longhi still has a very long MLB career in his future. The Red Sox need to recognize that and find a place for him.
Remember, this is a team that is apparently trying to save money this year. Why not give a look to someone on a minor league contract? Someone that was a top-10 prospect in the organization not long ago and who was extremely close to reaching the Majors last year anyways.
I’m not saying he will definitely be a star. What I am saying is this though. The Red Sox are currently looking for a first baseman. Longhi can do that. They might be looking for an outfielder as well. Longhi can do that. They will need cheap options if they are truly trying to save money. Longhi is that.
Why not give him some serious consideration. I’m not saying he’ll be perfect fit, but I am saying he could be.